Bedard: Defense is Ready

[goheels22002]

Well it was hard for Marquice Cole to make a play vs the Ravens in the playoffs last year as he was still technically with the Jets.

No need to call 911. I just realized that it was Sterling Moore who stripped Lee Evans in the end zone to save the game. Gotta run and call the Alzheimer's Hotline - do you remember the number? It's like 1-800- something, something, something...

 

[Deus Irae]

...People were encouraged by the 28-point comeback. So was I. But I was even more discouraged at how fast this Patriots team dug the hole out of which they could not climb.

They turned the ball over 4 times and there was that "PI" call against Talib. The defense even had a 4th down stand after Vereen put the ball on the carpet at the end of the 1st quarter. People seem to have forgotten that the score was 7-3 going into the second quarter, and only 17-3 at the half despite the offensive struggles of Brady & Co. It's not as if SF came right out and blew the doors off of the Patriots defense: it certainly got the job done early on, but it's not as if the game was lost at 17-3.

The game didn't get opened up until the second half, when Ridley put the ball on the carpet at the San Francisco 40, the ball got returned to the Patriots 3, the 49ers fumbled the ball on the next play, recovered the fumble and ran the recovery into the endzone. That made it 24, and it was quickly followed up by the Brady pick deep in Patriots territory which was converted into another TD.

 

[mayoclinic]

They turned the ball over 4 times and there was that "PI" call against Talib. The defense even had a 4th down stand after Vereen put the ball on the carpet at the end of the 1st quarter. People seem to have forgotten that the score was 7-3 going into the second quarter, and only 17-3 at the half despite the offensive struggles of Brady & Co. It's not as if SF came right out and blew the doors off of the Patriots defense: it certainly got the job done early on, but it's not as if the game was lost at 17-3.

The game didn't get opened up until the second half, when Ridley put the ball on the carpet at the San Francisco 40, the ball got returned to the Patriots 3, the 49ers fumbled the ball on the next play, recovered the fumble and ran the recovery into the endzone. That made it 24, and it was quickly followed up by the Brady pick deep in Patriots territory which was converted into another TD.

After multiple turnovers and offensive miscues, the Pats were down 14 in the 3rd quarter with the ball, due to the defense making several stands.

 

[aluminum seats]

I am not astonished by the love shown for the offense, coaching, ownership, etc. I am astonished by the love for the Patriots' defense. It's as if this defense is a stone cold lock to stop the AFC playoff contenders in the next round and beyond, but I have not yet ordered a cup of that kool-aid after a shutout of the listless Dolphins and solid defensive performance of the the impotent Jags.

The defense has evolved and it is definitely improved with Talib manning one corner and Dennard the other, with McCourty and Gregory at safety. But Talib's hip, and Dennard's injuries put the Patriots in jeopardy of fielding the same secondary that was torched by the likes of Sanchez, Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco.

If the Patriots offense does not race out to a huge lead, we saw, just three weeks ago, how fast a competent offense can light up this defense. A couple of good defensive performances against non-playoff caliber teams has not won me over.

People were encouraged by the 28-point comeback. So was I. But I was even more discouraged at how fast this Patriots team dug the hole out of which they could not climb.

I think it's understandable to be leery of the Pats' defense taking that step up--it's been awhile since the defense has really been strong. But I think you're being a little over-cautious. Apart from the outlier nature of the SF game that others have noted, it seems like a big part of your concern is the defense not being healthy. That's always going to be an issue for any team. But with the bye week, it seems likely the guys you mention will be as healthy as you can hope for this time of year.

In other words, buck up. It's OK to feel some confidence in this group.

 

[goheels22002]

I think it's understandable to be leery of the Pats' defense taking that step up--it's been awhile since the defense has really been strong. But I think you're being a little over-cautious. Apart from the outlier nature of the SF game that others have noted, it seems like a big part of your concern is the defense not being healthy. That's always going to be an issue for any team. But with the bye week, it seems likely the guys you mention will be as healthy as you can hope for this time of year.

In other words, buck up. It's OK to feel some confidence in this group.

Okay. I give up. I'll buck up and sleep soundly tonight knowing the Patriots have a great defense.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Okay. I give up. I'll buck up and sleep soundly tonight knowing the Patriots have a great defense.

that's not really the point of the article. bedard was merely saying that the defense is playoff ready, not that it is a shut down one. playoff ready simply means good enough to win.

 

[Ring 6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsWickedPissah

What's most remarkable is that in a significant number of those games and minutes, Talib was out of the game not on the field playing CB!

Truly a miraculous player!

There are many reason for the improvement in the defense besides Talib and the domino effect of moving McCourty to S and Arrington to the slot. Lesser personnel spikes include the emergence of Francis and the return of Chung (not your favorite, I know, but he is contributing). They are playing much better team defense and perhaps the most obvious change is that the coaches are doing things we didn't see at the beginning of the year. If Talib, Spikes, Ninko and Mayo are reasonably healthy, this is a very different defense than the one that took the field in Sept.

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[Ring 6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsWickedPissah

What's most remarkable is that in a significant number of those games and minutes, Talib was out of the game not on the field playing CB!

Truly a miraculous player!

There are many reason for the improvement in the defense besides Talib and the domino effect of moving McCourty to S and Arrington to the slot. Lesser personnel spikes include the emergence of Francis and the return of Chung (not your favorite, I know, but he is contributing). They are playing much better team defense and perhaps the most obvious change is that the coaches are doing things we didn't see at the beginning of the year. If Talib, Spikes, Ninko and Mayo are reasonably healthy, this is a very different defense than the one that took the field in Sept.

Mccourty had played a lot of corner lately, so that red herring isn't valid


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[Mack Herron]

Mccourty had played a lot of corner lately, so that red herring isn't valid


Posted from Patsfans.com App for Android

As I said, there are many reasons for improvement, and McCourty to S is just one of them. With injuries to Talib and Dennard we did not field our best unit in recent games. That only means that we have yet to see the defense at full strength. But there is reason to believe we will see it in the coming weeks.

 

[borg]

Time of Possession:
The Patriots made giant strides this year reversing the 28:30/31:30 O/D possession time in 2011 to a much better 30:40/29:20 in 2012. I have to believe 2013 will show even more improvement based on my belief that this current roster stays virtually intact ....allowing the D to season and if Gronk can stay on the field, his high catch % keeps the clock moving

 

[mayoclinic]

Time of Possession:
The Patriots made giant strides this year reversing the 28:30/31:30 O/D possession time in 2011 to a much better 30:40/29:20 in 2012. I have to believe 2013 will show even more improvement based on my belief that this current roster stays virtually intact ....allowing the D to season and if Gronk can stay on the field, his high catch possession keeps the clock moving

When you consider the tempo of the offense, that TOP is remarkable.

 

[Patjew]

When you consider the tempo of the offense, that TOP is remarkable.

True. It would be interesting to see the number of plays the Pats have run vs their opponents. I'm sure it's easy to find but I'm too lazy/busy to do it.

 

[mayoclinic]

True. It would be interesting to see the number of plays the Pats have run vs their opponents. I'm sure it's easy to find but I'm too lazy/busy to do it.

The Pats ran 1191 offensive snaps in 2012, or just under 75/game. Their opponents ran 1112 offensive snaps, or 69.5/game.

 

[Patjew]

The Pats ran 1191 offensive snaps in 2012, or just under 75/game. Their opponents ran 1112 offensive snaps, or 69.5/game.

Thanks. That was easy.

I'm surprised the differential wasn't greater. I guess that could be due to some quick scoring drives not to mention scores on D and ST.

 

[ATippett56]

True. It would be interesting to see the number of plays the Pats have run vs their opponents. I'm sure it's easy to find but I'm too lazy/busy to do it.

2012 New England Patriots Statistics & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com

 

[BradyManny]

This defense is better than last year's. By a wide margin.

My favorite way of looking is per possession, of course.

Points Per Possession [Defense]:
2011 - 1.9 (21st)
2012 - 1.7 (12th)

Yards Per Possession [Defense]:
2011 - 37.5 (32nd)
2012 - 32 (21st)

Turnovers Per Possession [Defense]:
2011 - .177 (3rd)
2012 - .215 (1st)

Drive Success Rate [Defense]:
2011 - .731 (30th)
2012 - .690 (15th)

And the Patriots offense had more cracks at it this year, too:

Offensive Drives:
2011 - 173
2012 - 180

In fact, if you look at the offensive efficiency stats, the 2012 offense is damn-near identical to the 2011 one.

Offensive Points Per Possession:
2011 - 2.79 (3rd)
2012 - 2.82 (1st)

Offensive Yards Per Possession:
2011 - 39.5 (2nd)
2012 - 39.2 (1st)

Offensive Drive Success Rate:
2011 - .775 (2nd)
2012 - .787 (1st)

The conclusion I would make is that while the offense improved nominally, continuing it's elite efficiency at an extremely high level, the defense improved noticeably. As a result, the offense saw the ball a little more, and scored more in total.

Before this season, the defense had been a detriment to the team's success for the last several seasons. It's metrics were god-awful, and they were only slightly redeemed by causing turnovers at a high rate.

Now, between the improvement in its efficiency and the even further improvement of turning the ball over, the defense - for the first time in a long time - is actually helping this team win.

 

[mayoclinic]

ESPN's James Walker discusses whether the defense is indeed ready:

Patriots defense back in playoff spotlight - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN

He is using YPG as his yardstick for ranking defenses. In terms of points allowed, the Pats tied with Houston, and gave up fewer points than Baltimore or Green Bay. In terms of rushing yardage the Pats rank 4th out of the remaining playoff teams, behind Denver, San Francisco and Houston. And the pass defense numbers are skewed by their early season problems.

But we'll find out in a little over 2 days.

 

[mayoclinic]

Nice read from Kevin Fishbain at Pro Football Weekly on Dont'a Hightower's evolving role in the defense as a playmaker:

ProFootballWeekly.com - Hightower's playmaking will be key for Patriots in playoffs

I tend to agree with him. I think Hightower started a bit slowly, and his hamstring injury no doubt slowed down his progress, but he's come on strong the last quarter of the season and has been a very good player. I think he'll be a bit of a wild card for the Pats - perhaps an unexpected impact player who emerges in the playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play a key role against the Texans, particularly with the TE coverage and play action-based offense.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

lets hope...we will find out sunday

 

[supafly]

The Giants barely made the playoffs and if the Pats had just stopped the drive rather than let Ahmad Bradshaw sit down on the goal line, the ppg would have been 15 in the playoffs. Basically the Pats dodged all the decent offenses in the NFL last year.

Just out of curiosity, are you wishing that they would not have let Bradshaw run into the endzone?

Obviously we'd all have preferred that the drive ended, but at that point there was nothing left to do. The score was 17-15, and they were milking down the clock to kick a game winning FG at worst.

I think that we were all screaming for the team to let them score there, so that we'd at least be able to get the ball back one more time. It was the only option.

Amazingly Bradshaw should have been much more aware, and he could have been the SB's biggest idiot of all-time had the Pats scored on their last possession. I still think that if Gronk would have dove, he may have got his hands on the hail mary pass near the ground, but that's a different subject entirely.